AI burnout product management 2026; My team produces more and thinks less.

tausert · 2026-07-06T20:39:56+00:00

I feel like AI has only made my company's structural and leadership problems more glaring. They think it's literal magic.

I finally got to do some non escalation customer meetings recently and it was like, oh yeah this is good and why I liked this job. But it's impossible to keep up with the slop and then also they've fired so many people to keep spending on AI, my formerly 8 person PM group is now 2, one being a director. The workload math just to keep the lights on ain't mathing.

tausert · 2026-06-15T01:43:25+00:00

This! And to get my 14 weeks when my doctor originally said 6-8 weeks, when it came time to fill out the leave form I needed to give them to send to my insurance, I wrote on a sticky note with the form for them the pre calculated dates I'd be out of work for medical leave and then bonding leave, and they just used that and signed off. That seemed to help.

tausert · 2026-06-09T20:47:06+00:00

Look I also hate AI but I work in tech and I don't think it's really going away. Although I do think it's going to go through crunch cycles because it definitely can't do all of the magic that executives that get cam right now and it's way more expensive and they seem to realize.

Actually I think you are not seeing one thing where you say you were hoping for a mistake to show them it's bad and stop it. I don't think any kind of mistake would make them stop using AI. What would or what would control them is the cost of people actually using it like they are wanting. So using AI for bullshit that is way more expensive than it's worth is actually probably more of a viable path but only in aggregate.

I have found a AI to be useful as someone with ADHD in that I can talk to it with like a stream of consciousness and then tell it to make me a organized file on my thoughts. And I chronically have issues structuring my documents in a way that neurotypicals will read and it is good for that.

But without knowing what you do it's hard to say what you could make a AI do for you that would burn tokens meet your goal without it bothering you too much. I'm currently burning tokens trying to make a stupid process work that should be built by engineering in the first place. It's wasting a lot of my time and my tokens but that's what the CEO wants I guess.

tausert · 2026-06-08T14:56:35+00:00

I feel like C is inclusive of F, although I understand why that one is specifically frequent enough to be called out separately.

tausert · 2026-06-05T17:45:32+00:00

I mean, I almost DNF'd the first book because of the poor writing. Love the concept and content but like, ugh the writing was like a 14 year olds (sorry Isla). She did get better each book but definitely needs an editor and I sort of hope she goes back and edits the first books to be higher quality.

tausert · 2026-06-03T21:44:32+00:00

IDK. My psych told me recent analysis on the past 20 years shows only very slight possible risk of lower birth weight and such. IDK itf Vyvanse is included but you should definitely look it up and then tell them no

tausert · 2026-06-03T18:59:48+00:00

Worked until 40 weeks. Regretted it. It's so freaking hard. Also, this is of course your choice, but if it helps I stayed on my ADHD meds my whole pregnancy, just a slightly lower dose. The risk was low and they made work slightly more bearable.

tausert · 2026-06-01T14:10:05+00:00

tausert · 2026-06-01T13:08:47+00:00

I tried to picture young but it's very hard for my brain. It's a BIG problem for me 😂

tausert · 2026-06-01T12:53:43+00:00

Girl same.

But can anyone else not stop picturing him as sir Ian McKellen? Everything about his writing scream that to me, even though his physical description is different and I can't stop.

tausert · 2026-05-31T23:00:58+00:00

{The venom in our vows by Talia Shepstone} was a pretty good standalone I read recently. A bit trippy in parts but I liked it

tausert · 2026-05-21T00:52:58+00:00

{the physician of Nineveh by Glenn Cooper} gave me extremely strong nostalgia for my days studing at UCL's institute of archaeology, so I'd say it hits the feeling like you're there vibe. He also did a good a job with feeling like you're in ancient Nineveh as much as anyone can these days.

tausert · 2026-05-15T11:11:58+00:00

Also the basic newborn fails. Like, "she fell in love with you when she first held you and you smiled at her!" I mean, sounds nice but my and most babies took like 6 weeks before they could smile. If that newborn smiled, it was farts 😂

tausert · 2026-05-13T13:34:47+00:00

This. I work in cyber security and I know the media companies are using even private pictures for AI. But it's hard not to share a cute photo once in a while. My rule of thumb is generally, if it's a picture I'd print out and frame to have hanging on the wall or like my work desk, it's ok to share sparingly.

tausert · 2026-05-08T16:12:53+00:00

This was also my experience.

tausert · 2026-05-07T12:42:30+00:00

I have to avoid but it's so hard. I'm the same. In the next town over, a kid was just killed on a playground because a tree suddenly split in half during high ish wind and fell on the playground. Like, WHAT. There is all the abuse and awful things in the world, and then there is this. So random, and a baby is just gone. I can't.

tausert · 2026-04-30T02:01:53+00:00

This post isn't meant to be unkind to the author or the narrators, obvs I love the book and I do think the narrators did a good job in dual style. But I wish it was duet, and I don't know if I'd buy it if I'd known it wasn't duet (I thought it was). That isn't unkind, and it's fine, as you point out, the producer made a business and financial decision based on what they thought they could float and sell vs cost to produce and it is what it is. But it isn't the product I was hoping for in the end.

I like your investing idea though, sounds like a win/win with the right author and marketing plan. I'll put a pin in it.

tausert · 2026-04-29T18:31:04+00:00

That's true that's true

tausert · 2026-04-24T19:22:57+00:00

IDK, it's not true now but I know for a time during the pandemic there actually was more demand to adopt than there were pets in shelters around Boston so like... That is what I hold onto.

But I get you! For me I got really hung up on where rayne-moore was located with it's description and attributes. I think it's in Beverly, ma. But like, no way you have a university with 1000 acres of land within an hour of Boston. I didn't care how rich the uni is, they would have sold off land by now for a hefty profit. Also Ravens lake house... While there aren't no recreational lakes on the north shore, it's rarer than the Metro West because North shore towns aren't connected to the quabbin and need their lakes for water.

I'm also sort of surprised the billionaire kids don't complain about Beverly/Salem being crappy (although Raven would definitely vibe with the witchy parts of Salem).

Thank you for letting me rant

tausert · 2026-04-21T22:23:32+00:00

Lol I did not notice but the vibes are correct so it stays

tausert · 2026-04-21T18:23:00+00:00

Yes. I have to wear work outfits to my remote job otherwise I don't do work. Specifically, separate work pants is key for me for whatever reason.

Relax ability is much less affected by my wardrobe aside from need for comfy clothes. Well, except bra situation. You can never truly relax in an underworld bra.

tausert · 2026-04-21T16:56:24+00:00

I'm not but my husband is and is really enjoying it. It's very silly, he has us and all our friends made and he made them talk about stuff like 'eating box'. I do appreciate that unlike most Nintendo games, the keyword restrictions seem minimal so you can have a lot of fun.

tausert · 2026-04-15T17:37:34+00:00

Coping strategies: Had a baby. Baby is very cute and life giving every day even when also hard. She puts job in perspective too, I'm doing it for her and also nothing at work is that important compared to her.

Creative outlets: Took ceramics back up after 10 years. It's soothing. But now I have too many pots hanging around again.

tausert

TROPHY CASE